Jones County’s Housing Committee had its first meeting of 2013 last month and identified goals for the year.

Chairman Donald Black went over the completed goals of the committee, including the presentation of graduated penalties for code enforcement issues to the city council. Those penalties were borrowed from another community and will be tweaked to suit the needs of Gray.

The city adopted a code enforcement ordinance to take care of condemnation and safety issues of properties in Gray, but enforcement of the ordinance has been a problem.

Black said another of the goals was a letter to Mayor Gus Wilson to thank him for his support of the committee for the three years it was part of the Georgia Initiative for Community Housing. The chairman said he wrote and delivered the letter.

Wilson personally provided a vehicle for the group to attend its six retreats.

The chairman asked for volunteers to attend a February GICH retreat at Lake Blackshear as alumni, and four members volunteered to go. He said the group will go for the day and will not have to spend the night.